If you’re like me, you have caviar tastes and a $0.25 ramen noodle budget this year.
Here’s a short list of things to shop-for with the TTRPG player in mind. (On the cheap.)
- Pencils and Notebooks.
I tend to take my writing implements very seriously. I usually get click pencils for home and my gaming bag along with the extra erasers and refill leads. Depending on the handwriting, 0.5 or 0.7mm lead works great.
Notebooks are pretty cheap. I prefer single subject college rule notebooks for most of my player notetaking and Game Master projects. If you’re especially thrifty you might pounce on the annual school supply sales earlier in the year for these. Note: If the TTRPG player in question uses a 3 ring binder, then loose leaf paper might be a better way to go.
Some gamers prefer to put their characters in fancy diaries or journals. These can get a bit pricey depending on the brand. A lot of Wal-Mart or Target type of establishments carry nice ones in and around the office supplies.
I’ve also used a lot of college ruled legal pads over the years for various things. Most office supply stores carry shrink wrapped bundles of a dozen or so for pretty reasonable prices. I’ve had three different sizes of these things over the years, but I prefer the standard yellow 8.5”x11” the most.
Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.
- Dice.
This one’s an easy catch. Some dollar stores even carry them. A standard set of 7 polyhedral dice is a welcome sight for most gamers. I use them as stocking stuffers for my wife and kids. It works as a good, small, affordable gift for ages 7 and up. Also never underestimate the value of regular six-sided, white dice and decks of playing cards.
There are also my friends at DiceDruid.com and/or MysteryDiceGoblin.com if you want to order some nicer dice. Act soon, though. Time until the holidays is passing quickly and both websites are probably going to be swamped with customers this year. I’ve gotten some very pretty dice from both websites and the shipping from England on Mystery Dice Goblin was very reasonable and fast.
- Dice containers/trays.
I used to use a Dansk cookie tin with a hand towel inside to deaden the sound as my dice tray before I got one of the more “professional” ones. It also doubled nicely as dice/miniatures/pencil storage when the lid was on. Really any nicer looking wooden box or tray can work as long as there’s some room for dice to bounce around in there a little.
Many years ago a friend gave me a homemade hand sewn dice bag. I cherished that, and it’s still around here along with my original dice from back in the day. Of course, dice bags don’t have to be fancy, or hand made to be a good gift. Any cloth, mesh, velvet, velour, felt, etc bag will work for holding dice. A lot of us old timers have Crown Royal bags if you happen to partake of such adult beverages or know someone who does. (Crown Royal bags look great and hold a ton of dice.)
I used a metal and later a plastic bandage can for my dice at one time. I also have these small wooden treasure chests that I picked up at a State Fair buck skinner moot back in the day. They’re great for holding dice and tokens. There are also similar wooden boxes in most craft stores or craft departments.
- Miniatures and Tokens.
I love you, dearest reader. Please stay away from the Games Workshop, Wiz Kids, and Wizards of the Coast official minis if you value your budget. They’re usually pretty pricey. (Except maybe at Ollie’s or a discount store.) $7.00+ Per single figure is too much if you ask me.
There are less expensive options, however. Some of them can be found at Target or Wal-Mart, etc in the toy aisle. I’ve gotten some pretty sweet dragons and other monsters from the cheap-ish Schleich toy line over the years. They have animals and dinosaurs, too.
Other stores, such as the dollar type stores sell everything from basic nondescript fantasy figures, monsters, knockoffs of name brand figs, and lots more. Miniatures, terrain, and tokens are pretty cheap at the dollar stores. I would also recommend checking around some of the various craft stores, especially for tokens.
Speaking of tokens, I’ve used everything from Games Workshop miniatures figure bases, clear tiddlywinks, to precut cardboard chits over the years. I’ve even printed off and made my own tokens and standees. (Free with internet access and a printer.) Also, never underestimate the power of a regular 100 count box of plastic poker chips, which are usually found with the dice and cards most places. I have multiple boxes of these things for poker and various TTRPGs.
- Gift Certificates on DriveThruRPG.
I can stretch a $10 credit on DriveThruRPG or Itch.IO quite a ways. I’m sure most tabletop roleplayers can do the same. There are PDFs of character sheets, maps, adventures, rules supplements and much, much more out there. $10 Gift Certificates through my Affiliate Link here. (Every dollar spent through the link helps me continue building my empire, err collection.)
Gift Certificates are an annual problem of how to present them. I recommend rolling them up as a scroll or possibly taping them to a book box. I won’t get into gag gift ideas here, but maybe someday. You could also wrap a certificate around a cup or put it in a fancy envelope.
Lastly, I should mention that literally everything I mentioned here and more can be found on Amazon.com or TEMU. A simple search for DnD or DnD Stuff goes a long way. Dice and miniatures run the gamut on these shopping sites from over $1,000 for the huge Tiamat statue all the way down to $1.09 for dice or cards. Amazon had some really great basic minis for fantasy games at reasonable prices along with terrain, etc. (Try looking for fish tank supplies and HO scale train trees or bits for terrain.) Also never underestimate the trees and houses from various miniature Christmas displays.
Thanks for shopping along with me today. Spending time together for the holidays can be one of the most treasured gifts you can give or receive. I hope you have the very happiest of holidays this year.
Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.
Jeff's Game Box 